Bridging the gap: from care to home - Focus Ireland

Bridging the gap:
from care to home
Welcome to this publication which aims to advance Focus Ireland’s
campaign calling for a statutory right to aftercare for young people leaving
care and young people experiencing homelessness in Ireland. We
believe this statutory right is essential to protect the futures of young
people in care and help them make a successful transition to adult life.
Of the 5,000 plus children and young people in care today 80% are in
foster care and the remainder live in children’s residential centres. In
2006 there were nearly 500 homeless youth not being cared for by any
family member. The current situation is that once a young person turns
18 years of age the State no longer has a legal obligation to provide
aftercare support and housing. This is the very reason why Focus
Ireland is calling for a statutory right to aftercare – to ensure young
people leaving care are protected during what can be a vulnerable time.
Not every young person leaving care needs support but it is vital to
provide it for those who do. Many of the young people recognise that
they need support to bridge the gap from care to independent living.
Young people deemed homeless under section 5 of the Childcare Act
1991 may be more vulnerable then children in residential or foster care
and are also entitled to the security of aftercare support on becoming
18 years of age.
A pilot study by the HSE in Dublin in 2005 showed that nearly one third
of a sample of young people in care would prefer supported
accommodation when they left the system at 18 years of age. It
was also noted by the HSE at that time that if this level of need was
replicated around the country the demand for supported accommodation
would far outweigh supply. Meanwhile, the Government’s Youth
Homelessness Strategy also recognises the need for aftercare as it
states that, “Aftercare is an integral part of the care process, it is not an
optional extra.” Focus Ireland is working hard with the Government, the
HSE and other relevant bodies to provide support services and
accommodation for young people leaving care. Much good work has
been done through working in partnership in this area, including the recent
opening in Dublin of Focus Ireland’s Chéad Chéim aftercare project
and the opening of the South Dublin Aftercare Support and Settlement
Service both of which feature in this magazine. We are also working
with the HSE through the Crisis Intervention Services Partnership responding
to young people at risk of homelessness and facilitating their
return to their family or a residential care placement.
Not everyone who needs this support is receiving it as of yet, and our
experience has borne this out as there is already a waiting list for our
aftercare project in Dublin. As I have said, Focus Ireland believes the
right to aftercare now needs to be placed firmly as a legal obligation of
the State and we are working to advance this. The first stage in any
campaign is to demonstrate why change is necessary and to show
Contents
Paul McGrath’s story 01
Young people leaving care - Sr Stanilaus Kennedy, Focus Ireland 02
HSE model for the delivery of aftercare services - 06
Sheila Marshall and Mark Yalloway, HSE
Vulnerable children: the case for reform - 09
Geoffrey Shannon, Solicitor and Special Rapporteur
on Child Protection
Focus On: Chéad Chéim - Karen Doyle, Focus Ireland 12
what needs to be done. I hope this
magazine will bring added focus and
understanding to this matter. As we
all know any campaign for change
has to generate support to be
successful.
To this end I would like to pay
special tribute to the invaluable
support and input from people including Paul McGrath; Children’s
Ombudsman Emily Logan; Geoffrey Shannon; Sheila Marshall; Mark
Yalloway; our own experienced staff; Focus Ireland’s Life President Sr.
Stanislaus Kennedy; and the young people themselves, as represented
by the the Irish Association of Young People in Care. Paul tells movingly
in this magazine of his own experiences upon leaving care and how
support at this crucial time could have really helped him. One of the
young people we work with also speaks candidly of her own
experiences and how our services have helped her make the transition
from care to independent living.
Focus Ireland has a strong track record of working to advance change
since Sr. Stanislaus founded our homeless and housing charity in 1985.
This work is informed through our research and experience of working
directly with people who are marginalised in society. Focus Ireland
will be actively continuing our campaign calling for a statutory right to
aftercare through the political system by future lobbying. We will also
work to raise public awareness and support for this campaign through
our communications work.
We will also continue our partnership work to directly provide the
services and accommodation needed to ensure that support is provided
for young people leaving care. Our campaign is geared towards
ensuring that one day soon these services will be a legal right for those
who need them. I hope you find this magazine informative and that
it will act to prompt you to support our campaign in any way you can.
Working together we can each play our part to help protect the futures
of vulnerable young people leaving care all around Ireland.
Yours sincerely,
Joyce Loughnan,
Chief Executive, Focus Ireland
Preventing youth homelessness - Orla Barry, Focus Ireland 15
Focus On: South Dublin Aftercare Support and 17
Settlement Service - Michelle Carroll, Focus Ireland
Aftercare in the context of the rights of a child - 19
Emily Logan, Ombudsman for Children’s Office
Aftercare for Over 18s - Neil Forsyth, Focus Ireland 20
Supporting the right to aftercare - 23
Irish Association of Young People in Care
Focus Ireland’s services for young people - 24
Catherine Maher, Focus Ireland
‘‘Becoming homeless has a very
serious impact on young people.’’
The HSE in Dublin Mid-Leinster agreed to work in partnership
with Focus Ireland to provide a range of aftercare services in
the greater south Dublin area. The first stage of our
collaboration was the establishment of our South Dublin
Aftercare Support and Settlement Service in April 2007.
The second stage of this collaboration will be setting up a
residential aftercare facility in the south Dublin area in 2008.
Focus Ireland provides aftercare support on behalf of the
HSE in Waterford and plans to open residential aftercare in
the city in 2009.
Prison-in-Reach is run in partnership with the Probation
Service and the Irish Prison Service and aims to provide
a case management approach geared towards preventing
people becoming or returning to homelessness on leaving
prison. Our research has shown that there is a complex
relationship between release from prison and entering a
cycle of homelessness, crime and re-offending behaviour.
In recognition of this, prison visits to maintain contact with
young people and ensure a service link on their release has
been an element of Focus Ireland’s youth service for many
years.
Off-the-Streets provides a short-term residential programme
for young people aged between 16 and 18 years of age as
part of the HSE Crisis Intervention Services. Staff endeavour
to provide a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for
young people who are out-of-home or at risk of becoming
homeless. Our staff support young people throughout their
placement and help to engage them with a range of external
professionals. Each young person avails of a structured
programme tailored to meet their specific needs, including
assistance with education, training, employment and
practical living skills. The aim of the programme is to enable
young people to develop a positive self-image and to reach
their full potential through helping them to move on and
settle in a permanent home of their own.
The Spokes education programme’s holistic approach to
education plays a key role in helping people to gain valuable
skills and experience to support their progression through
formal and informal education programmes. In order to tackle
homelessness it is vital to provide access to education,
training and employment programmes for young
people and adults. These programmes have helped people
gain future employment, build self-esteem and develop
life skills. Many of the wide range of training programmes
offered are Further Education and Training Awards Council
(FETAC) accredited.
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